Mizoram House passes Supplementary Budget

The Mizoram Assembly today passed the Supplementary Demand for 2013-14 amounting to Rs 2,658.47 crore and vote-on-account for expenditure for the first four months of 2014-15 (April to July, 2014) amounting to Rs 2,381.08 crore.

The Budget was presented in the state legislature by Finance Minister Lalsawta on last Tuesday.

Both the Supplementary Demand and the Vote-on-account were passed after a brief discussion after Lalsawta explained that detailed and demand-wise discussion would be held when a regular budget would be presented in the state legislature.

During his budget speech, he underscored the need for improvement and augmentation of the state's own tax and non- tax revenues through any possible means and at the same time reduce non-plan revenue expenditure whenever possible though he did not propose any specific new taxes on increase in the rates of existing taxes.

Lalsawta had to seek vote-on-account as the Planning Commission was yet to allocate the annual plan outlay for Mizoram.

He said though the Planning Commission was yet to finalise the state annual plan outlay for 2014-15, the Budget estimates for the next fiscal were projected at Rs 3,325 crore.

"As and when the annual plan for 2014-15 is finalised, I will seek approval of this august House for the regular budget," the finance minister said.